Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai has dismissed claims of a personal or political alliance with President Bola Tinubu, insisting that their paths were never destined to align.
Speaking in a television interview, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain clarified that he and Tinubu were never friends or political allies.
“I think it’s important to make this clarification. There is an assumption that I was ever Tinubu’s friend. I was not. We never got along with Tinubu. We never had a personal relationship,” El-Rufai said.
He explained that his involvement in Tinubu’s 2023 presidential bid was driven by political principle and party discipline within the All Progressives Congress (APC), not personal loyalty.
“For me, Tinubu was initially just an aspirant of the party. I was approached by certain Islamic stakeholders from the South-West and asked to support the emergence of a South-West Muslim presidential candidate,” he stated.
El-Rufai said his support was rooted in an understanding that power would shift to the South after eight years under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“As one of the founders of the APC, I knew that we had an understanding with the South, specifically the South-West, that after eight years of Buhari, power would go to the South. It was a matter of principle. It wasn’t about Tinubu,” he added.
Once Tinubu emerged as the APC candidate, El-Rufai said he committed fully to ensuring the party’s victory, stressing his principle of supporting the party’s chosen candidate.
However, he noted that fundamental differences in values and governance philosophy eventually created a significant divide.
“We didn’t fall out. We just could not find areas of agreement. There was no equilibrium. We couldn’t agree,” El-Rufai explained.
He was particularly critical of what he described as the Tinubu administration’s governing philosophy, which he said conflicted with his understanding of public service.
“I am in government for delivery, for results and performance. Public service is not about making money for yourself, it’s not about stealing, it’s not about appointing your cronies or your tribesmen,” he said.
El-Rufai further revealed that even if a proposed cabinet appointment had materialized, it would not have lasted, citing the sharp contrast in values between himself and the President.
“Even if the offer that Tinubu made to me to be a minister had gone through, I would have left the government long ago. The philosophy of this government is contrary to everything I have been taught as a Muslim, as a northerner, and as a Nigerian,” he stated.
“These guys didn’t come to govern, they came to enrich themselves, pure and simple. We are different people. So it should not surprise anybody that knows me and knows Tinubu to see that we are parallel lines that will never meet,” he added.
